To give you a burst of acceleration when you push the gas pedal all the way to the floor, a little electric switch called a kick down switch, sends a signal to activate the downshift solenoid on the valve body. The kickdown switch is attached to the throttle pedal/throttle pedal assembly, and is a very important element of your vehicle safety. If this switch gets stuck in the open position, a P1836 diagnostic trouble code will be saved.
What Transmission Do I Have?
How Serious is the Code?
Having a P1836 DTC is actually pretty serious, because if your vehicle cannot downshift when you ask it to, you won’t be able to accelerate quickly enough to get around obstacles or merge with traffic.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a P1836 include:
- No downshift at full throttle
- Poor performance
- Slow shifts
- Shifting to soon
Causes
- Faulty kick-down switch
- Faulty downshift solenoid
- Accelerator pedal linkage/assembly out of adjustment
How to Diagnose the Code?
When diagnosing a P1836 OBDII diagnostic trouble code, the accelerator pedal linkage and assembly should be examined for signs of problems. If no issues are found, the electrical test will need to be performed on the kick down switch.
What Transmission Do I Have?
What Repairs Will Fix P1836?
- Replace the kick-down switch
- Adjust the accelerator pedal linkage
Related Codes
P1835 – Kick-Down Switch Circuit
P1837 – Kick-Down Switch Failed Short
